REGIONAL TRANSPORT STRATEGY 2014 Regional Hierarchy 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION Page 1 1.1 Executive Summary Page 1 1.2 Introduction Page 2 1.3 Primary Land Use Characteristics Page 3 2. STRATEGIC CONTEXT Page 4 2.1 Transport Integration Act Page 4 2.2 Victorian Freight and Logistics Plan Page 4 2.3 Green Triangle Region Freight Action Plan (Freight Transport Program) Page 5 2.4 Great South Coast Regional Strategic Plan Page 6 2.5 Great South Coast Regional Growth Plan Page 7 2.6 G21 Regional Road Transport Plan Page 7 2.7 Port of Portland Land Use Study Page 8 2.8 Central Highlands Regional Strategic Plan Page 8 2.9 Wimmera South Mallee Regional Growth Plan Page 8 2.10 Wimmera Regional Transport Plan Page 9 2.11 Plan For Freight Transport For The South East / Limestone Coast Region Page 9 2.12 Victorian Local Ports and Marine – Framework For Action Page 9 2.13 Victoria’s Road Safety Strategy 2013-2022 Page 9 3. EXISTING INDUSTRIES Page 11 3.1 Dairy Page 14 3.2 Forestry Page 17 3.3 Mineral Sands Page 20 3.4 Grain Page 22 3.5 Livestock Page 24 3.6 Fertiliser Page 25 3.7 Tourism Page 25 4. EMERGING INDUSTRIES Page 26 4.1 Wind Farms Page 26 4.2 Gas Fired Power Stations and Other Major Projects Page 27 5. KEY TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE GREAT SOUTH COAST Page 29 5.1 Roads Page 29 5.2 Rail Page 31 5.3 Gateways Page 34 5.3.1 Marine Ports Page 34 5.3.2 Air Ports Page 34 6. TRANSPORT NETWORK GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND PRINCIPLES Page 37 6.1 Goals Page 37 6.2 Objectives Page 37 6.3 Principles Page 37 6.4 Road Hierarchy Logic Review Page 38 6.5 Road Hierarchy Logic Matrix Page 40 7. ROAD NETWORK CONDITION AND MAINTENANCE Page 41 8. PRINCIPAL STRATEGIC ROUTES Page 42 8.1 Shire Priorities and Projects Page 44 Colac Otway Shire Page 45 Corangamite Shire Page 46 Glenelg Shire Page 47 Moyne Shire Page 49 Southern Grampians Shire Page 50 Warrnambool City Council Page 51 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION 1.1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Great South Coast (GSC) Region is facing, and will continue to face, significant challenges into the future with respect to the ability of its transport network to cater for an ever growing freight task, to enable the local economy to grow and continue to provide a high level of service and connectedness between regional centres and their surrounding settlements. Despite these challenges the GSC region is strategically positioned to leverage off its strong rail, road and port connections; north to the Grampians and Wimmera Southern Mallee, east to Geelong and Melbourne, west to South Australia and south connecting the deepwater Port of Portland. The regional city of Warrnambool serves as the major regional city for the GSC. Portland and Hamilton and Colac are important regional centres with district towns such as Port Fairy and Camperdown also providing important service functions for the community. Approximately 96% of freight within the Barwon South West region (GSC and G21 making up the Barwon South West) is moved on the road network1 with forestry, raw milk, fertilizer, mineral sands and cement accounting for the majority of the freight task representing approximately 10 million tonnes per annum out of a total of 14.2 million tonnes per annum.2 In terms of net tonne kilometres, 25.9% of Victorias total regional freight task is moved on the Barwon South West transport network.3 This strategy aims to identify the pressures and demand growth patterns on the road and rail transport network, the resultant bottlenecks and the strategically significant corridors to cater for growth. Each member council has already established its own hierarchies of their strategic freight road assets on local roads to assist in prioritising the allocation of road maintenance funding. This study aims to translate these individual approaches into a regional approach that identifies needs on an aggregated level to assist in the allocation of additional roads funding from State and Commonwealth program sources. 1 Source: Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure 2 Source: Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure 3 Source: Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure Page | 1 1.2 INTRODUCTION This strategy has been partnered by the Corangamite Shire Council, Colac-Otway Shire, Warrnambool City and Moyne Shire. The shires of Glenelg and Southern Grampians, part of the six- member GSC Group of Councils, have had observer status in relation to the development of this strategy. The strategy area is bounded by these councils. The Steering Committee for the project was comprised of senior management of the four shire councils above, and also included representatives from State Government departments including the Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure, VicRoads and Regional Development Victoria. The purpose of this transport strategy is to identify the key transport network demands, current and future freight tasks, and to develop strategies to ensure provision of sustainable infrastructure in the region, by: • Identifying supply chain improvements to maximise regional productivity and increase safety for residents and visitors. • Ensuring the regional freight network strengthens the competitive advantage of the South West. • Considering the issues of enhanced liveability and expectations of tourism in transport planning. • Improving transport connectivity to support growing population centres, retain and grow a skilled workforce and enhance education and other opportunities. Page | 2 Figure 1.3.1 Primary Land Use Characteristics of the Barwon South West Region including existing and proposed wind farm sites 2. STRATEGIC CONTEXT This strategy is aligned with the principles of the Transport Integration Act. It also acknowledges and is aligned with state and local government strategic planning including the Victorian Freight and Logistics Plan and the Great South Coast Regional Growth Plan which are both currently in draft form. 2.1 TRANSPORT INTEGRATION ACT (2010) The Transport Integration Act (2010) sets out a vision, objectives and principles for transport in Victoria. It makes clear that the transport system needs to be integrated and sustainable, in economic terms, in environmental terms and in social terms. It requires all Victorian transport agencies, including the Director of Public Transport, VicRoads, VicTrack, V/Line and the Linking Melbourne Authority, to work together towards the common goal of an integrated and sustainable transport system. Along with specific objectives, the strategy also takes into consideration the objectives from the Transport Integration Act, including: • Social and economic inclusion • Economic prosperity • Environmental sustainability • Integration of transport and land use • Efficiency, coordination and reliability • Safety and health and wellbeing The objectives used for assessing priorities in this strategy are aligned with those of the Transport Integration Act. 2.2 VICTORIAN FREIGHT AND LOGISTICS PLAN The Victorian Freight and Logistics Plan, also referred to as ‘Victoria – The Freight State’ was released in August 2013. The VFLP will examine long term freight in Victoria, and forecast future freight scenarios to inform decision making for projects and funding, and will be the overarching document to give a general strategic direction for regional freight and transport tasks and projects. While offering a strong Melbourne focus, there is consideration into the freight issues in regional Victoria. Regional Victoria accommodates various economies which play an important role in Victoria’s competitiveness. This includes agricultural, food processing and extractive industry sectors. These sectors are underpinned by the State's transport network. The Victorian Freight and Logistics Plan will identify initiatives to improve the efficiency of the freight network to support these industries. It will also identify ways to increase freight efficiency and productivity across metropolitan Melbourne and regional areas in Victoria, including improvements to interstate and international connections. The objectives used in this strategy which align with the VFLP are: • Plan and deliver capacity and key freight gateways in a timely manner Page | 4 • Improve the efficiency and productivity of key freight network links • Ensure future options are secured for key freight network developments • Progressively decentralize freight activities from central Melbourne to selected outer industrial areas • Protect and enhance access to markets for regional Victoria 2.3 GREEN TRIANGLE REGION FREIGHT ACTION PLAN (FREIGHT TRANSPORT PROGRAM) The Green Triangle Region Freight Action Plan was released in April 2009 to secure trade and employment opportunities in the Green Triangle region. The plan is endorsed by the Victorian and South Australian governments, local governments and major industry and transport organisations operating within the Green Triangle region and together with G21 Regional Road Transport Plan are the key book-end transport strategic plans. There is an estimated $8.7 billion worth of private investment set to commence within the Green Triangle region over the next five years in the mining, timber, energy, agriculture and dairy industries. It is critical that the right infrastructure exists for communities to benefit from this export driven growth and the job opportunities that it creates. Many of the new investments will be in emerging sectors including low emissions thermal power, wave energy and natural gas, helping to strengthen the region’s economy in a carbon constrained future. The Green Triangle Region Freight Action Plan outlines the significant export and employment opportunities in the region over the next decade and beyond and the need for infrastructure upgrades to the value of $340 million to accommodate the growing freight task. Since the release of the Green Triangle Region Freight Action Plan in April 2009, a number of the recommendations have been acted on, including: • $10 million from the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments for bridge works and upgrades on the Henty Highway and Princes Highway to facilitate a trial of High Productivity Freight Vehicles.